True Self, Self Esteem and The Many Roadblocks

  Returning to the core of your true self is a slow and enlightening journey. You have to peel away the layers of your mental armor you collected through the years. The True self is buried beneath years of good and bad experiences along with many layers of the subconscious. Every Experience we have changes our perception on life as well as change our way of interacting with life. Some perceptions are correct others are distortions of the truth created by a negative and even sometimes positive circumstance we experienced. Our brain automatically creates its own defense mechanisms to protect us from things it at the time sees as threatening or harmful.This for the most part is a good  thing but when it keeps the defenses in beyond the time of need it can become a barrier between you and your happiness. 

Sometimes I think our brain needs a reset button or ctrl-alt-del keys, a reboot of ourselves to the basic core of who we are would be good from time to time. I guess our brain becomes cluttered with old and useless thoughts and memories that do nothing but become rod blocks to moving forward in life. Remembering the past is good for it gives you a reference point as well as examples of both good choices and wrong ones. You experiences of the past are great teachers but are not meant to be anything much more than that. Living in the past is not a good thing for it keeps your mind from focusing on the things at hand. For today is the most important time in your life, not yesterday or even tomorrow holds more importance than today. Learn from the past, Live for today and be open to all the possibilities of tomorrow.

Sift, sort and peel away the layers until you find the real you deep within. Be yourself and do not allow anyone or anything to change who you are. We all are unique, being who we are and striving to achieve our true potential is one of the key goals of life. There are many opposing forces out there that will try and keep you from that goal, they are there not to stop you but to challenge you. They are roadblocks set there for you to overcome and to help strengthen your core character. Once you realize that you are capable of overcoming the roadblocks in your life they become a little less scary to face. One of the biggest challenges to face I have found to be hard is to face is self doubt. If you have little if no confidence in yourself it makes dealing with the challenges of life very difficult and sometimes almost impossible to overcome.

Having low self-esteem is a very difficult roadblock to overcome, being the enemy here is your own self it makes it a difficult battle for sure. The thing is, you are the only one who can heal the wounds that help create the low self-esteem and you are the only one holding on to the things that fuel such a negative self image. Others may have contributed to building this roadblock but only you can be the demolition crew that can destroy it in the end. Meditating on the serenity prayer can help a lot when dealing with low self-esteem, for it helps you realize there are things you can change and others you can not.

THE SERENITY PRAYER

“God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.”

 

Keep Faith in God, Have faith in yourself and walk with love as your guide.

Raymond Barbier

Be Yourself

Be Yourself, Never allow the opinions of others change who you really are. Each one of us are unique individuals and each of us have our own special way of interacting with life. Our uniqueness is what makes us human beings a creative species. Who you are is who you were meant to be, no matter what the society, government or religious institutions believe. We have flaws and we have blessings, that is what being human is all about.

Why try and change yourself to fit in what they call the social norm when who and what you are is far more special and unique than to be a uniform drone of society. Too many times I watched the bullies of the so called in crowed push down the unique and good people who where not social conformers. Too many times I watched some of the nicest people I've known be bullied until they repressed their true selves or felt they were inadequate and useless.

Some of them survived and thrived as time went on others had their futures squashed by low self esteem and poor self image created by society. If society does not like who I am it can go on without me, I will not try and conform to what their ideal person is supposed to be. In history if you look close it was the ones who were outside societies norm that made the great inventions and discoveries. They chose to walk their own path and discarded any social pressure to conform. This made them free to reach their full potential and bring some of the greatest world changing discoveries and inventions.

Peace to all and to all a Merry Christmas

Raymond Barbier

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Blessings, Curses and Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving coming up, I thought I should write about thankfulness. To be thankful for all that you have is to realize that you are blessed even if your life is a mess. Look at me for example, I am 800 miles away from family and friends in several directions and lead a pretty dull life. Yet I am thankful for the family that I still have and for having the friends I do even though they are so far away. Age is catching up to me and my health isn't as good as I would like I am still generally healthy and thankfully I have awoke to see another day.

Too many of us focus on what is bad or causes us ill in our life way too much and rarely look at the blessings that are in our life. No matter how big or small a blessing may seem they all are equally important and should be equally cherished. Life is way to short not to focus on the blessings we have and defiantly too short to ponder on our curses.

So on this Thanksgiving take a good look at all the things that are blessings in your life and give thanks for them.

Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving

R. Barbier

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Pleasure in the suffering of others is Childish and Cruel

I often wondered why some people find the misfortunes of others either funny or entertaining. What could drive a person to find enjoyment in such things is beyond my own understanding. I myself could not find any enjoyment or entertainment in the suffering even in my worst enemy. It is cruel minded to find joy or pleasure in the sufferings of others, regardless if they be friend or foe. I guess it boils down to what one defines as just and or justice, If one believes that justice is to see the suffering of the villain or criminal rather than the putting right of which is wrong then maybe that makes it seem ok to find pleasure in the suffering of another.

I believe that the sufferings of others is not to be pleasured in, it is to be abhorred and found a sad or terrible sight. To find pleasure in such things is either madness or a cruel and evil way of thinking. I only hope one day mankind can grow out of such childish thinking and become more compassionate, caring and peaceful.

Peace and Happiness to all
R. Barbier

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Honesty, Definitely a virtue we need.

Honesty, Definitely a virtue which we need more of. Honesty is the best policy, even if there are things you think best untold. To live in truth and not in illusion is the way in which one is to truly live.

To be dishonest is to mark your own soul and to destroy a part of both the dishonest and the one being deceived. We are responsible for every action, thought and word we have in our lifetime. Everything we do, think and or say effects not only ourselves but those around us. Sometimes our actions, thoughts and words effects can travel great distances to effect even those we do not know.

Be careful of what you do,think and say for it will effect you and others in one way or another.

Well enough Babbling for now
Peace to all
R. Barbier

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Get through each day

Just Passing on a Email from a friend I thought everyone would enjoy.

Original Author M. Barr

Okay I decided to pass along a few secrets I have discovered that help me get through each day.

1. Wake up.
2. Find something to smile about. To this end. I do what Paul (New Testament) says. If there is anything noble anything good anything of good report, dwell upon these things. I find it simple to just remember things I have enjoyed doing in my life and think upon them.
3. Whatever is in your mind is what you will focus on. Whatever you think about will reflect in your attitude. If you find yourself hung up on a thought that upsets you or brings you down. Try listening to music that is up beat and singing along with the song. This one is important. Its takes effort but the reward is simply a better attitude. With your every thought you create the world as you believe it to be.
4. Stop comparing yourself to others. What you will find is that there are those below you and those above you. Do not look down on anyone and try not to envy those that have more material things than you. All you really need is in you at this very moment. So many people are looking for happiness when it is as simple as believing you’re happy and you ARE.
5. Find something you enjoy and do it!
6. Forgive the world and move on. Stop looking for negative things to justify your negative mood. Get over it. Forgive the event and make peace with yourself about whatever it is and pick up the pieces and carry on. Stop carrying around that piece of shit baggage and put it down. Put it down right now and every time you pick it up gently remind yourself to let it go.
7. I find myself meditating 70% of the day. Meditating is simply thinking upon a thing. Sometimes I think about nothing at all. Just content to be in the moment. After all is said and done the moment is all there really is, the past and the future are untouchable but can be accessed through thought.
8. Relax take a deep breathe and laugh.

Pug

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Cascading Effect, Watch your words and actions.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own lives and problems we fail to pay attention to the needs and wants of those around us. We get almost obsessed with trying to keep our lives in balance we allow our relationships and friendships to be put on the back burner. We must remember we are not the only one alive and that we are not the center of the universe. There are others in this world and in contact with our lives.

We have to take care of business, so to speak but we also got to realize that our actions and decisions don’t only affect us. They effect those around us and can in a domino effect even effect people we will never meet. So we should always consider the feelings and the well being of others around us before making decisions. We should be aware of the consequences of our actions and how it can effect those around us and others not even involved.

It is as simple as giving a homeless man a dollar, He will spend it somewhere and that helps keep another person employed. That homeless man might share his wine or food with another. It could cause that homeless man to do something nice for another and then it continues down the line. It is hard to predict if an action is going to have a cascading effect or just stay localized. But being aware of the possibility may guide us to better choices and actions.

I guess the saying Evil begets evil and good begets good is true if you look at it as a cascading reaction or effect to a good or evil deed. So pay attention to what you say and do, keep in mind the effect you can have on others around you and the possibility of a cascading effect. Choose your words and actions wisely because more and likely they will effect many others and eventually come back to haunt you.

Well enough Psychobabble for today
Peace to you all
Ray Barbier

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Just Another Political Rant

Power, greed and deception are the rules and conditions of politics. Almost every single politician is concerned with their own wealth and the power that comes with their elected position. Campaign promises created to get votes and bills filled with hidden earmarks and agendas fill the congress. Healthcare is only affordable by the rich and pharmaceutical companies push the medical industry to use pharmaceuticals to manage diseases instead of educating the patients or surgery.

There is far more money in selling overpriced pharmaceuticals to manage a health problem than to come up with an actual cure. This is not to say there isn't anyone out there looking for cures, just that funding and priority for finding a cure for a disease is lower than the research for drugs that help manage a disease. Though I will give the present administration a thumbs up for the fact they are pushing the idea of better diet and physical fitness as a preventative measure in keeping good health.

It still gets me quite upset that there are some congress officials and hopefuls looking for a way to increase the retirement age and or diminish the social security plan. For one thing even if the average life expectancy is like 80 it does not mean the majority of humans will survive to that age. The percentage that are lucky enough to live to see retirement are usually not as healthy due to having to work so hard and long. With the fact that it takes the lower and below middleclass citizen 2 to 3 jobs to maintain a decent standard of living only puts more strain on the health of those individuals.

For as Medicare/Medicaid and any federal or state funded health care , it should be limited to legal citizens who have and will contribute to the tax systems both at state and federal levels. The only way illegal aliens could be a part of the system is if the government went to a national sales tax to replace the current income tax. This would insure every individual living in the united states would and could contribute their fair share to the government funds. Of course this federal sales tax should not be on food or necessities of life such as utilities only on luxuries.

One thing I have learned is if it makes sense the government will either ignore the idea or take it and load it down with so many earmarks or amendments it becomes a useless idea and bill/law. Once in a while one might actually slip through with little change but that is becoming a very rare occasion in recent years.

Well enough rambling on about politics and such.
Peace to all Raymond Barbier.

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Right and Wrong, The Conflict within us all.

The conflicts we suffer within us are there to serve us by giving us eventual direction in life. Morality versus Self Gratification is usually the main conflict that stirs within our inner selves. To know what is right and wrong comes with penalties, Every selfish and inhumane action we have tends to carry a heavy cost with it. But in turn the selfless and compassionate actions too carry a reward if not sometimes a price. Though I would rather pay the price for doing what is right than for what is wrong, usually my selfishness gets in the way at times. The internal conflicts within us are basically the battle between right and wrong.

Being human sometimes it is very hard to decipher what is right or wrong because there are so many fine lines between the two. Usually as a rule is if it causes harm to another person then it is considered wrong, If it benefits the other person or everyone then it is considered good and or right. Though there are some situations that these rules would not and could not be applied and that is when I myself just try to find the least hurtful and or damaging choice. I try to live by the ideal that if you make others happy along with helping  them to the best of your ability while avoiding doing any kind of harm then you have chosen the right path. This includes ones own self, Respect is not to be a one way street and neither is compassion.

I guess the inner conflicts within us all will continue as long as we struggle to balance the needs and wants of the self with the needs and wants of others. Right and wrong, Good and evil are concepts mankind embraced in order to find a means in which to better society and help the progression of civilization.

The creator (GOD) gave us the code of conduct known as the ten commandments to help guide mankind to a better way of life and he also sent Jesus Christ as a teacher and savior. Jesus came to not only fulfill the law but to teach mankind forgiveness, compassion and the true spirit of love. He showed all of us by example his compassion towards the sick and the sinners he came across in his time here on earth, He taught us to forgive and to turn the other cheek along with to love one another.

To be selfish and without compassion is to allow yourself  to be surrounded by those whom have little regard for you or your survival. As the old saying goes “Birds of the same feather flock together”. So you will become surrounded by others who are much like yourself and you will be treated like that which you treat others. I also belive that if you do someone harm eventualy through a chain reaction the harm will come full circle back to you. This of course works with compassion and selfless acts,they also will come around in full circle eventually. This is the concept of karma and  the only problem with Karma is sometimes its instant and sometimes it takes a lifetime, but eventually what comes around does go around. So I guess there is wisdom in the old saying " Do unto others as you would have them do unto you'".

Well enough of my Ramblings for today
May peace fill your heart and compassion be your guide.
Raymond Barbier

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Space 1999

   It has been Many of years since I have seen the Sci-Fi Series of Space 1999, Though it has that 1970’s Campy feel to it considering the special effects technology of the day and the limit of plausible scientific theories used in the show it still is quite entertaining. The computers in the series were gigantic and controlled by unlabeled rows of buttons (quite large buttons). The Time warp back to the 1970’s technology is entertaining in itself, the outfits and hairstyles make it even more entertaining. The series of course gets better when they add a character called Maya who can transform into what ever organic creature she can see.

The Black suns they use in the series we now call black holes and the nuclear explosion that supposed to propel the moon out of orbit into a high speed trek across the universe is of course not plausible but that adds to the campy charm of the series. For those sci-fi buffs looking for a classic TV Sci-fi series from the 70’s this is one of a few I would recommend.

To learn more about space 1999 you can follow this Wiki link –>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space:_1999

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Insecurity, Acceptance and Fear

What is insecurity and why do most people suffer with it in one form or another? Insecurity is usually caused by the lack of acceptance by our peers or the lack of confidence in our own selves. When we are not accepted by our peers we tend to see ourselves as dysfunctional or inferior in one way or another. We tend to value the opinions of others over our own. We allow the opinions of others to control our own self perception and that can create a very negative self image. Though other peoples opinions will always play a part in our lives we must realize that they are opinions not facts. I have watched so many good people be held down or back from their full potential by the opinions and actions of others. Being popular or accepted may have its emotional and social rewards but the popularity can and most of the time usually is short lived.

One should not look outward for acceptance and validation , you should look inward for if you do not accept and embrace who you are then you will never become the person that you truly can be. Each one of us has the potential for greatness within us and each of us has our unique qualities that makes us grand. Some of us have exterior beauty as a gift but that fades with time and age, but all of us have a unique inner quality that will remain with us till our time to leave this world. I guess we all strive for physical appearance and social ranking because we live in a time where everything is so temporary and disposable. We get bombarded with images of how we should look and how our life should be in the many forms of visual media available in this modern age that it makes us feel inferior or lacking in one way or another. Most of the people we see in visual media have been altered by make up, soft filters on the cameras and air brushing on the photo images. This gives the illusion of perfection and beauty that very rarely exists if at all in nature.

There is also the victim mentality that seems to be a mainstream theme in modern society, So many people feel they have been a victim in one way or another in their life. Not saying we haven't been victimized but to hold on to the mentality of being a victim only keeps one from moving on and living life. Why waste the time we have here on earth worrying about what has happened when we could be celebrating what is now and is yet to come. Fear is another factor that seems to be a road block to happiness if it is held on to and allowed to be a daily occurrence. Fear has its place but is meant to be short lived, when we allow it to stay for too long it grows and takes control of our daily life. Living in constant fear keeps us from enjoying life the way we are meant to. As one of our presidents said the only thing we have to fear is fear itself and he was 100% right. I always like the line from the movie Dune that was Fear is the mind killer and if you really think about it that is true. Fear seems to consume ones every waking moment and thought when it is present. It makes us only focus on that which caused the fear and keeps us from thinking of the greater things in life.

Well enough of my babbling for today
Peace
R. Barbier

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Fresh Produce and a Healthier Diet

  I have noticed in the news they have been pushing the fresh fruits and vegetable thing again and I think it is a good idea. Unfortunately most fresh fruits and vegetables are quite expensive compared to the unhealthy foods most of us like and eat. There is one way to cut costs on fresh produce and that is to grow your own and can them yourself. What you don't eat during the season is still healthier as home canned than store bought canned. Frozen produce has been proven also to be as healthy if not sometimes healthier than the fresh produce at the grocery store. This is due to the fact the produce is frozen close to the harvest time that retains the nutritional levels unlike produce that is shipped and stored which makes it less nutritional due to the time between harvest and consumption. Fresh picked produce is better especially if you were the one to grow it because the fact you would use less pesticides if none during the growing process.

  Even Meat sources that are raised by the consumer would be healthier due to the absence of hormones and antibiotics that commercial farms use. Plus fresh meat tastes better or at least it does to me. Just remember the old saying you are what you eat so when you eat chemicals and additives in processed food your body either has to work hard to remove the toxins or it is storing it in your body fat. Do not always listen to what the media and government tries to say is or isn't healthy just follow the rule if it is not natural then more and likely it isn't healthy to eat. And if it is natural is is safe to eat if not healthy. Some natural things are not as healthy as others but if you balance your good with not as good then you can have a enjoyable and healthy diet.

Peace and happiness to you all

Ray Barbier

 

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Limits, Boundaries and Habits

   Do we limit our own selves? Is one of the main reasons we do not succeed and can not be happy the fact we don't allow our selves to do so? I always wondered if this is a fact or just another random thought we all get that helps fuel our guilt complexes. I do believe in some cases we do set our own boundaries and limit ourselves in order to keep within our comfort zone. Some people do not like change and rather stay in a unhappy but yet comfortable life then to risk it getting worse or taking on new challenges they fear they will be unable to handle.

When we are children we set our limits and goals by the standards and expectations of both our peers and our family. We take the opinions of those around us and give them the power of authority because when we are children we take everything at face value and as true. By the time we start realizing not everything we see and hear is always true we already have set up a behavior pattern and set many of the boundaries or limits we will live by for the rest of our lives. Though some may and can change by influential experiences and by the influence of others basically they will not change much.

Alas there is always hope because the human brain is reprogrammable and so is the limits and boundaries we have set or accepted. To change both your limits and boundaries is not an easy task because you have to basically ignore the programming long enough to set new boundaries and limits. It is kind of like a bad habit you've been doing for years, though difficult to break the habit it is not impossible. Look at people who smoked for over 20 to 30 years and quit. They had to not only break the habit of wanting to put a cigarette in their mouth but the addiction of nicotine. Many have succeeded in quitting smoking and so many have also failed. This shows how difficult it may be to face a habit and addiction but it also shows you can beat both if you are determined enough.

Most of our negative thoughts and the boundaries / limits we have are basically habitual behaviors that can be overcome through time and determination.  We have to want to change our limits and boundaries in order to succeed, just like one must really want to quit smoking in order to do so. We also must realize we can achieve much more than we presently believe we can and see that we are only limited by our own thoughts and beliefs. This makes me remember a line from a song I had to sing back in a elementary choir “Nothing is impossible until you try” it was from a Thomas Edison themed school function.

Allot of the times when I feel that I can not do more or better I look at all those in the history of mankind who overcame great odds to achieve wondrous things. People like the early colonial Americans who challenged one of the greatest military powers of the time to achieve freedom and the creation of both the constitution and the great nation of the United States.  So many historical examples of men and women who broke through their limits and boundaries to challenge the odds and win. They are proof that anything is possible if you allow yourself to be limitless and break through the boundaries set by society, peers and your own self.

Get out of your comfort zone and discard those limits and boundaries that keep you from being all you can and should be. Be  who you want to be and beyond, bring the uniqueness of your individuality to the table of life and be proud of who and what you are. Let no one tell you you are anything but great and wonderful for we all are a par of a wonderful and extraordinary species called the human race.

Well enough of my ramblings for now
Peace and Love to you all
Ray Barbier

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Thinking of Friends

Sometimes I just sit here and think of all the friends I have known through out my life and wonder where all of they are and how they are doing now. All those friends from my childhood and teen years that I moved away from back in the late 80’s those that I hung out with after school and those that were just a school acquaintances. I wonder if any of them ever think about me if even remember me. It is very interesting how we form friendships and alliances during our youth and how easy the friendships and alliances disappear through both the progression of time and the increasing of the distance of space between. Then there are a few friendships that seem to never be effected by the test of time. I also find it funny how our memories can be distorted by time and even fade into fuzzy recollections as we age.

Looking older is never been much an issue for me but the one thing that does bother me about growing older is the loss of the friendships I had and the slow increase in loneliness i feel due to the lack of friends. I miss having the group of friends I hung out with at times and I feel as if my world is shrinking day by day. So many friends I had have died or were lost to time and distance. I guess humans are generally social creatures and as we get older the social aspect of being human becomes less and less as we go through life. I have a few friends left from my childhood and teen years but they are far away and busy with their own lives as much as I am so we communicate less than I would like us to. This is mostly my fault due to my busy schedule so I enjoy the time I have to communicate when I can.

Sometimes I sit here and remember the days when I and my friends had so much fun and faced the challenges of growing up together. I hope all of them are doing well and hope to see all of them at least one more time in this short life we all live. I wish them all well and that they have a great life along with happiness in their life and the lives of their loved ones.

May Peace and Understanding Guide you All Though your Lives.

Ray Barbier

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Orb Networks – Multimedia Software

Orb is a easy way to listen to your music files and watch the video files on your home pc remotely across the internet. Very useful if you travel allot and want to take your media library with you without taking up the hard drive space on your laptop or netbook. To help explain further below is an excerpt from Orb Networks FAQ located at http://www.orb.com/pdfs/press_kit/OrbFAQ.pdf

What is MyCasting™?
Orb MyCasting is a free service from Orb Networks that makes it easy for consumers to remotely view and share their live and recorded home and Internet TV, music, videos, photos, podcasts and other digital media stored on their PC, from any Internet-connected device, be it a mobile phone, PDA or laptop. MyCasting is the opposite of broadcasting, allowing you to stream your digital media when (time), where (place), and how (device) you want it.
What's unique about Orb?
Orb Networks is the first company to offer a single solution for enjoying virtually all of your digital media remotely, using the devices you already own. There is no need to choose which technology path to go down to access your media remotely; other options are cumbersome and require an additional investment in yet another “cool” technology. Orb is free and begins with one easy download: there is no hardware or software required, and no additional time needed to catalog and categorize your digital media. You get instant access to the digital media that’s already on your PC. Just download Orb and start MyCasting.

If you wish to give Orb a try (Free Software and free service) go to : http://orb.com/en/download_orb or just http://orb.com

That's all for now
Peace
R. Barbier

Related Articles

• Orb Networks System Streams iTunes and Pandora to Any Home Stereo (thetechscoop.net)
• Orb Networks Introduces MP-1 Orb Music Player (pcworld.com)
• Orb's Streaming Music Puck Shoots, But Will It Score? (nytimes.com)
• Orb's Streaming Music Puck Shoots, But Will it Score? (gigaom.com)
• Orb Networks introduces MP-1 Orb Music Player (macworld.com)
• Orb MP-1 streams audio using iPhone as remote (news.cnet.com)
• Orb MP-1 music player pulls Sonos-like tricks for way less than a Benjamin (engadget.com)
• Orb MP-1 $69 WiFi media streamer takes on Sonos (slashgear.com)
• Tech Talk Podcast: Cookies and Orb (bits.blogs.nytimes.com)

Just a rant about congress

I find it quite interesting it is the rich politicians who want to raise the retirement age on social security once again. If they had to rely on the Social security as their primary if not only source of retirement and their salary was the  minimum wage if they would still want to raise the retirement age and strike down a national health care system.  I wonder if they would see things different and not be so against entitlements if they were not making those 6 digit salaries. I still am a firm believer in the idea of setting term limits on the congressional seats. If the president has a term limit why shouldn't the congress. The congress is becoming like a stagnant pond, the same senators and house representatives been in there for way too many years. Time for newer , younger and more creative blood in the congress. New ideas and hopefully less party polarization  would be the outcome of such new blood.

Well that's just my 2 cents worth of political thoughts for today.

Peace and Prosperity to you all

R. Barbier

Related Articles

• Cutting Benefits Isn't the Way to Save Social Security (politics.usnews.com)
• How Can We Fix the House and Senate? (unbiasedtruth.net)
• Another Ill-Informed Front Page Washington Post Editorial on Social Security (seminal.firedoglake.com)
• If Tea Party Members would only take five seconds to consider the source of their movement: David Koch, Dick Armey, Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck (iflizwerequeen.com)
• Fox: 78% favor term limits on congress (minx.cc)
• Terry Newell: Throwing the Bums Out Won't Work (huffingtonpost.com)

Food City Joins in Nuval Scoring System

Food City has joined in the Nuval Scoring system which makes good nutrition easy by providing comprehensive nutritional information in a single number.
To help Explain Nuval a bit here is an excerpt from the Nuval site

How the Scoring Works
NuVal™ Scores summarize comprehensive nutritional information in one simple number between 1 and 100.  Each NuVal™ Score takes into account more than just the nutrition fact panel.  It considers 30-plus nutrients and nutrition factors – the good (protein, calcium, vitamins) and the not-so-good (sugar, sodium, cholesterol).  And then it boils it down into a simple, easy-to-use number; a number you can trust to make better decisions about nutrition in just a few seconds.



for further information on Nuval go to http://nuval.com/

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• The Latest Nutritional Adviser: Your Grocer (online.wsj.com)
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• Market Street Spices Up Summer School with Culinary Camps, Classes for Kids of All Ages (eon.businesswire.com)
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Division, Immaturity and Our Congress

The national debt seems to be one of the main focuses of the political arena during this pre mid term elections. So much party division within the major 2 parties that it seem neither the democrats or republicans can agree within their own party or with each other. It is all about power and control at the moment and not about the lower middle class or the poor. Anti Obama sentiment is the republican playbook and Obama is still holding on to the blame Bush mentality. I know Obama’s Health bill has allot of holes and flaws but then this is mainly because the republicans and democrats can not get together to do something good for the citizens that elected them. Such division between two parties is bad enough but now the division is within the parties themselves.

The Lust for power and the war within for control has pretty much shattered our congress which in turn makes the congress weak and ineffective. Instead of a republican pledge I would like to see a Bi-Partisan Pledge and to see them actually keep that pledge. The Main tings they need to focus on is a real healthcare solution that will make healthcare affordable for the lower middle class and poor along with affordable higher education that would in turn bring economical growth. Social security should be sealed to where they can not borrow from its funding and should not have an age increase for its benefits. I have noticed allot of politicians rather cut programs that help the lower income than cut either their own salaries or programs that they support. When you make over one hundred thousand dollars a year I guess social security and healthcare are not a concern to you, but when you make below twenty five thousand dollars a year they are your main concern.

It really shocks me that so many highly educated people that makes up our congress can act so immature and can not find a middle ground between them to get the things done that is needed. They play the blame game too much and seem to overlook that thy all are to blame. Not one party or the other are solely to blame for the state our country is in. Both sides have passed and blocked laws and bills that has brought us to were we are today. Maybe if they completely read what they are signing for and maybe have a real debate over the issues instead of party positions we might get our country back on the road to greatness.

Well enough of my Political Ranting for now
Peace to all

R. Barbier

Related Articles

• Analysis: Could GOP be playing into Dem hands? (sfgate.com)
• Pledge To America sees Republicans vow to cut role of government (guardian.co.uk)
• GOP's 'Pledge to America': Tax Cuts for Rich, Undo Obamacare (abcnews.go.com)

Modern Times and Religious Ideals

In modern times the way organized religion operates is not much different then the ways it has in the past. Each religion claims to be the one and only path to God and or heaven. When we get arrogant enough to proclaim we are right and that all others are wrong we open the door for problems such as terrorism, racism, sexism and even religious persecution. Being a Christian in faith I can only comment on my own faith and the status of the organized religion of Christianity. Seems some of the Christian churches of today preach that if it isn't Christianity then its an enemy of the church and of God. I have seen T.V. evangelists preach fear of other religions and even try to oppose the freedom of other religions to exist in the United States. There are allot of churches and religious leaders who are tolerant if not even accepting of other religions out there also and i commend those who show tolerance and acceptance for that is what being Christian is supposed to be.

Jesus taught us to turn the other cheek, forgive others, love your enemies and to be humble before God. I do not see enough churches promoting that message or even trying to following it. Jesus lived a life in which he healed the sick and he showed compassion to all in his travels. I feel until mankind in a whole can learn to love each other and to have a compassionate heart we will never know the love god has to give us all. A heart that is hard as stone gives no love nor can it receive the love given to it. An unforgiving heart will never know forgiveness for others or itself. God has given man many great gifts and abilities yet we waste some and abuse others with little care or appreciation. Freewill is one of the greatest of gifts he has given man and yet we seem to forget it was a gift. The gift of life and then the gift of salvation are the top two gifts and even those are sometimes taken for granted if not forgotten by some.

We need to remember where the gifts come from and to cherish them always humbly and truly. Though we have dominion over this world we live in we are still the servants of the one who gave it all to us and should remember this always. We should always walk with love and compassion in our hearts and be guided by the wisdom God grants us. We should never interfere in the freewill of others for that is their god given gift and therefore no man has the right to interfere. The only right we have in the freewill of others is to offer them advice and or other paths to follow, ultimately it is solely up to them to choose their own path in life.

Well enough of my Religious Ramblings for now
Peace to all

R. Barbier

Related Articles

• Why is the religious extremism still so strong in the United States? (beinghuman.blogs.fi)
• Religion a matter of private conscience, not public policy (mysanantonio.com)
• 7 Books for the Spiritually Starved (thedailybeast.com)
• Christianity Shot in the Foot (new.exchristian.net)

Prayer, Faith and His Will or Ours

  I used to wonder why that sometimes it seemed GOD sometimes wouldn't answer my prayers. I figured out he was answering them it was that some prayers he answered no to and others he answered in ways I didn't understand at the time.  Then there were many prayers that were unanswered due to my lack of faith in him. God loves all of us regardless if we believe in him or not, Just like a father he loves his children both the good and bad. He helps all of us both by answering our prayers and by brining us experiences in our life to enrich us or teach us.

A friend of mine once stated like many others had done, If god exists and loves us then why would he allow famine, war and disease on earth. It is man who brings war and allows famine to be in this world. Mankind's will is what spawns the majority of our sufferings. The problem is Man chooses his own will over that of God’s which pretty much says Man thinks he is the master instead of God. There are many who put God’s will before their own, yet its a very small amount of people compared to who that don't. We are yet his children and even though we ignore his advice and will, He will still help us in times of need. But due to ignoring his advice and will we will have much more problems to face in our life.

  If a father tells his son, Son do not drink alcohol it will eventually consume you and your life and the son ignores the warning usually that son will have a very high chance of alcoholism and possibly the related health issues related to drinking. If the son heeds the fathers advice he avoids all the pitfalls of drinking. This is similar to what god has done, he has warned us in the bible of the pitfalls of both sin and putting our own will above his and most of us chose to ignore it. Though we will have to face many of the negative aspects of our choice to not follow God’s will he still loves us.

  Have faith in him and pray for his will to be done on earth as in heaven, Repent and ask for strength to resist the temptations of life.

God Bless

Ray Barbier

Guilt, Mistakes and Self Forgiveness

Self forgiveness is something that very few of us ever practice, forgiving one's self seems to be a much harder task than to forgive others. Why does it seem that to forgive some one is much easier than to forgive our own mistakes and transgressions?  For some reason we tend to be much harder on ourselves than we are on other people. We must realize that like everyone else we are not perfect and therefore we will make mistakes and should learn from those mistakes but not allow those mistakes to control our lives.  We can focus on our positive attributes and our achievements instead of on our mistakes and our negative aspects.  Mistakes being a part of the natural learning process that we all go through and they are beneficial in learning what we should not do.  So making mistakes is something that we all must face in this life that we live.

  Guilt which is an aftereffect of making a mistake is suppose to be a short lived emotion to help us remember that we had made that mistake.  Guilt is not supposed to be a lifelong emotion and if it becomes one it changes from a beneficial emotion into a destructive emotion.  Suffering Guilt for a long period of time is devastating to a persons self-esteem and their personal happiness. Accept the mistakes that you have made, then learn from them and try not to repeat them is about all one can do. Everybody makes mistakes and everyone faces guilt from time to time and that my friend is what being human is all about.

Well till next time

Peace R. Barbier

Just Rambling on about emotions.

   Anger serves a purpose but is meant to be a temporary state of emotion not a way of life. Anger is designed for the purpose of self preservation and defense , It is a response to a negative force we encounter and usually turns off after the event. Sometimes anger will linger and cause great physical distress which is not its true design. Instead of anger we are supposed to have a memory of the incident and the mistrust or caution mentality. To hold on to anger for too long of time it creates a negative effect on your social and physical well being. To allow any emotion to be in control of you and your daily life is unhealthy. Emotions should be under your control not the other way around. Taming emotions that have gone wild and has gained control of your life is not an easy task. But like any challenge we face in life it is possible with determination and allot of self control. Though meditation, hypnosis and plain common sense one can regain control over their emotions within time. The first step is to realize that your emotions are in control of you and that you need to regain control of them.

  Some people choose to ignore or try and shut off their emotions and this also creates problems for your body and mind. Learn to experience your emotions when they come and then learn to let go of them once they are no longer necessary. Mankind has always had to deal with their emotions and how they can both be beneficial and devastating to the individual who experiences them. Too much emotions is bad just as too little of emotions is also bad. Find a balance between both extremes and learn to be the master of them and all will be well. When a emotion becomes too strong and uncontrollable find a way to express that emotion and to get it out of you. Writing, exercise, and any form of artistic expression usually are good ways to express and release the emotions you are dealing with. There are many other ways to deal with the overbearing emotions one can experience and each person needs to find the best way for them.

Depression is one of the most devastating emotions one must face and when facing it I would suggest not doing it alone, Talk to your family and friends about your sadness and ask them for help and if it is a very severe case do not feel ashamed to go ask for help from your physician or a therapist. Being depressed may be natural from time to time but it is not normal to be depressed all of the time.

Well enough rambling for today.

Peace.

R. Barbier

Question of the Day 8/21/2010

  If the average salary of an American is between 25k to 50k and the average congresspersons salary is between 170k to 190k,  Do you think that congress should consider a pay cut to help lower the national deficit?

Thought of the day 08/18/2010

“The heart of a humble man is full of compassion and understanding, The heart of a selfish man is full of deceit and envy.”

Thought of the day 08/16/2010

“Selfishness not only robs others of the good you can do but also robs you of the good you can receive”

There is no such thing as a perfect relationship

  There is no such thing as a perfect relationship, parent, child or lover and holding on to that belief only keeps someone from enjoying life and those who are in it. If we would learn to accept the fact the person we love and care about is human and will have many flaws we might be happier in our relationships. We can not expect anyone to adhere to the standards of perfection we have in our mind. Each person has both great qualities and potential as well as a bad side to their personality. We all suffer from a bad side and there is not one person here on earth who is perfect. We all should show respect to others and have self respect as well. Respect for each other is a very important part of any relationship, without respect a relationship will fall apart eventually.

Respect yourself and all others and love without condition along with understanding. Try to see things through the eyes of others and realize that sometimes there is more there than meets the eye. Never expect perfection from yourself or others. This is not to say you cant have high standards for yourself and others but be realistic in the standards you set. If you set the bar too high then you or they will never reach the goal or standard. Also remember relationships are a partnership so you must work together to make the relationship work and to improve its quality.

 

“Love yourself and others for who and what they are”

R. Barbier

Thought of the Day 08/14/2010

“If you fill your heart with compassion and love you will have no room left for anything negative.”